Every so often you discover something fantastic that
is completely new, this album by Blairmailer is
one such discovery. I discovered this via the blog
Hooks Hidden Gems which is were you can find the
record.
I know nothing about the band so if anyone knows
anything let us now via the comments.
Its a great record released it appears in 1993.
The sound is wonderful, whimsical, very low-fi,
with some great instrumentation, a bit of brass,
clean guitar, great lyrics and great artwork.
Give a go and let us know what you think.
Many thanks to hook finger for bringing this to my
attention, you can find the record for
Download Here
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Blairmailer - Home of The Falcon
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22 comments:
I can - Blair Mailer comprised of David Nichols (The Cannanes and other bands) and his brother Michael (Hanshalf Trio and other bands). Their first albums were released on my cassette label Toytown way back when, and there was a CD release of at least one of them. The band later turned into Crabstick.
David's blog can be found here: http://lorrainecrescent.blogspot.com
Wow that was quick, thank you Wayne.
As the owner of a cassette label you must have some stories.
ciao bob
Hi,
I found your blog yesterday and what a find it is! I live in the USA but I'm a major fan of Aussie music.
The Go-Betweens are my favorite but I love so much of what your continent has to offer. It seems unending in terms of quantity and quality.
The Robert Forster show from NYC is a major treat and I was glad I dug into your archives and found Ed Kuepper 'cause he's a close 2nd in my favorites. Ed is a relative unknown in the States and what a loss to those here that he is, he's amazing. Does he ever tour outside of AUS?
Thank you for all your great shares!
Great band. have this one on c.d. so maybe it's the only one they released on that format. Have a toytown cassette of theirs that I like even more. Ah, Toytown was a great label, thanks Wayne. Cheers for posting 'Home Of The Falcon' Bob...now all you need is too find some crabstick and you're set!
Hi darren glad that theres people like you that know this band.
So anyone have any toytown cassettes
converted to mp3.I love to put em up here
ciao bob
Thanks for the kind words. I plan to convert all of the (otherwise unreleased) Toytown tapes to MP3 for free download. When I do it I'll send you the links. I have the masters of all the tapes so they should sound pretty good.
The other Blairmailer album (cassette only, I think, I don't believe it was released on any other label in any other format) was called What Is Blairmailer?
On Toytown I also released a number of compilations and also albums by Mesmo (a later version of Matrimony), The Hanshalf Trio, various US bands (The Ah Club, Land of the Loops, Sukpatch, Kittycraft) as well as my two bands Stinky Fire Engine and The Wash Daddies, and also a few releases by The Cat's Miaow (these now on CD) and some others as well.
Apart from his music, David also ran the excellent Distant Violins label (releasing a great fanzine, about 26 issues I think, as well as compilations - again, I have the masters of most of those), and also his record label Frock.
If you would like to view some Toytown cover art it I've published it all here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonitoclub/sets/72157601856904607/
Bob, I have a handsome pile of Toytown cassettes and you've inspired me to start thinking about digitizing them. The compilations Display Ideas For Supermarkets and Fingernails are exceptional. Lots of oddballs, one-offs and future cult heroes.
Thanks Wanyne, Fantastic artwork on the flickr page, I love that stuff. I'm very excited a the prospect of these piles of toytown cassette returning to life.
Theres a distant violins connection with the gobetweens 5 new songs post back in may, the 4zzz interview included in that post was the b side of a cassette which was intented to come free with the last distant violins release but for financal reasons couldn't, the art work for the cassette is on the post, click it and there's a large copy there.
ciao bob
Hi donat, are you same donat I see everywhere I look on myspace? That is friends with all the artists I like.I checked out your blog and it looks very promising and Ive put a link in my links, another blog that
" will most likely be a strong emphasis on Australian and New Zealand post punk" is certainly welcome and another from Brisbane to boot. Oh and anyone who's an Apartments fan is a friend of mine.
Glad to have inspired you.
ciao bob
Yep, I am the same Donat, afraid to say. Good to see that Mr Wayne Davidson is looking to share the Toytown back catalogue. There was a tiny little shop in Annerley during the early 90s that used to stock them (its name escapes me) and I bought everything and loved everything. I had initially found the Fingernails compilation at an op-shop years before, which got me into groups like Beat Happening, the Dead C and the Cannanes. It was back in the day when you could find weird and wonderful titles quite readily, mind you.
I really am enjoying this blog and I am more than happy to help you fill any empty blanks you may have in regards to the Brisbane part of your vast blog. Cheers.
Donat, Thanks for the offer of help and your kind words regarding this blog,I look forward to your input
ciao bob
The tiny shop in Annerley was called The Laughing Raccoon, i remember it well. You could take a few steps next door to the Two Faces of Eve cafe for coffee and reflect on the cool Toytown cassettes you had just bought. They had a music video section too with rental vhs tapes. There was a compilation i think called 'Munch' that i got to see, with clips by the Magnetic Fields, Stinky Fire Engine and other fine bands. My Cannanes obsession however was fueled by the Scrabble shop down the Fortitude Valley, just over the other side of the Brisbane river. hehe them were the days.
Mr Wayne Davidson here... the Fingernails compilation was found in an Op Shop? Awesome!
I can't remember the name of that shop in Brisbane either but they bought a bunch of titles from me and I even made them an in-store display! It was a box with wrapping paper around it and big foam letters that said TOYTOWN. No expense spared! :)
Yes, the Laughing Raccoon - my memory really is quite shocking sometimes. Must have bought every Toytown title they had and thankfully I still have them all un-chewed Still have a red catalogue, too.
Mr Wayne, who on earth were the Vacuum Safari Suits? The Ballad of Danny Sakamoto would have to be one of the most amazing tunes I've ever heard. And Fingernails cost me all of 20c from Lifeline. I just thought the photocopied cover was a hint of its brilliance. It's a great mixture of pop and noise.
The Munch video is great viewing, I found a copy not long after it came out in a record shop here in Brisbane.
The Vacuum Safari Suits came from a Victorian country town, Ballarat I think. They used to play regularly in Melbourne around 1988/1989 and made at least one appearance at the Egg'n'Burger's club night (the name escapes me, was something like Club Sod. The E'N'B were an art group headed by Ewen Cameron and Maj Green that also went under the name of Igloo; members were also in the Rooty Hill District Affiliated Legacy League Marching Band - also briefly on the Fingernails tape). VSS had a line of comedy songs which I thought were pretty funny. One of the many bands that just seemed to vanish unfortunatley (along with another of my favourites, Tick Tock Speedy, who were from Adelaide). I *might* still have a whole tape of VSS material, I'll see what I can find. You're taking me back Donat!
Howdy,
simply one of my favourite record of all time! I found it under the most strange circumstances on vinyl and it still haunts me strangely.
This was the follow-up band to Crabstick without James Currin. At first I think it was just the both brothers Nichols than extended Dany Butt and Ross "Bart" Cummings on later releases.
If you are able to read German, I have written a long article about David Nichols and his work between the early eighties (Cannanes) until something around 2000 (Huon) with Crabstick and Blairmailer in between for the Hayfever magazine... You should check that out: www.hayfever.de
hi, i would really love to hear those cassettes wayne! especially anything done by these crabstick fellas. i've really become obsessed and want more. anyone have a rip of the other two crabstick albums (i got 'stud or houseboy?' from this fine blog)?
oh just realised how long ago he posted... would anyone happen to have an email contact for wayne/toylove? hit me up - alecjmarshall-at-gmail-dot-com. cheers
toytown. i am on a role
Listening to Home of the Falcon right now and thought I'd google Blairmailer for something to peruse and look what comes up, this wonderful thread! David Nichols is one of my all-time heroes and Mike's track 'Fax' is one of the great pop moments - Michael also put together the excellent Dirty on the Shovel 'zine about the time of Blairmailer and later did good stuff in Panel of Judges.
Hi everyone. This is the definitive release: http://tarkovskygreen.bandcamp.com/album/tg-003-best-of
Thanks David, that looks like a great release
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